Becoming A Man
by Phooka
Summary: An All Grown Up oneshot. Angelica has been visiting Chuckie at work a lot lately, and for once, Chuckie mans up.
1. Pt I

_Becoming a Man_

an All Grown Up Fanfic.

* * *

When a boy and a girl spend a massive amount of time together, whether forced or by choice, they usually end up falling in love.

Chuckie Finster has heard this before, but based on the way milk spewed from his nose when his best friend Tommy said it, it's fair to say that he was skeptical in the least.

* * *

**The Beginning**

"Hey, Finster. Get off your lazy butt and make me a smoothie!"

As always, the screeching voice of one Angelica Pickles makes Chuckie cringe. But the orange-haired boy doesn't bother to lash at Angelica with his own rebuttle, or even to point out that he's not on his butt at all. He's actually in the middle of making two expressos for two very sexy girls eyeing him from across the room. (Because, yes, some girls are seemingly into nerds). Even so, Chuckie sets the expressos aside, and quickly throws together ingredients: bannana, orange-juice, ice cubes, strawberries, and a scoop of low fat yogurt (because if he used regular yogurt Angelica would probably kill him). He tosses the mixture into a blender and sets it to frappe'.

Two minutes later and Angelica is happily sucking on a fresh-made smoothie, meanwhile, the two hotties that _were_ eyeing Chuckie are now glaring as their expressos have been served to them luke-warm. Angelica seems pleased but her eyes, cunning as a cats, seem wary. Something's bothering his long time tormentor, Chuckie can tell; and he knows damn well that she hasn't walked all the way from her parent's posh, uptown apartment on a hot day just to get a smoothie.

The blonde temptress doesn't say much though, just sits on one of the faded leather stools and stares, watching him with the wide-eyed innocence of a child as the only noise is her sucking ice through her straw and him wiping down the tables. He knows that the innocence is nothing more than an illusion, and behind those crystal blue eyes wheels are turning in her head, trying to figure out exactly what tactic, what formula; would get Chuckie to bend to her will and do _exactly_ what she wanted.

He didn't _want_ to fall for it, but lately, he didn't have anyone else. Tommy, his best friend; had run off with none other than Chuckie's sister, Kimmy. Well, "run off" may have been the wrong word : in all honesty, Kimmy had gone off with Tommy, Phil, and Lil on a trip to a film festival. Lil was going because she had coerced her mother into letting her use the family station wagon, Phil was coming to protect his sister. Kimmy had been invited because Tommy had an extra guest pass ( he being nominated for the "Best Young Director" award), but Chuckie had assumed that he, as the best friend would be the one invited, and had to admit that he was a bit hurt. It was plain to see the unsaid love blooming between Tommy and his sister, but it still hurt to think that another may take his place of number one in Tommy's eyes. Chuckie had gotten used to being the sidekick, the Robin to Tommy's Batman, the milk to the proverbial cereal. Without Tommy, he felt as if he was losing his identity.

Yet, in the midst of all this, one person had been constant: always around, always taking him on random adventures, or visiting him to talk, and that was Angelica. She had been coming around more and more lately, and; although Chuckie was sure it was for some sort of devious, ulterior motive, he sadly had to admit that he was glad of the company.

Angelica looked up from her drink, a tiny bit was pooled in the bottom, around her straw and half-melted. She looked tired, Chuckie noticed, he could see where she'd dabbed concealer under her eyes to hide bags if he looked closely, but no makeup could fix how bloodshot her eyes looked, that's what gave her away.

"Angelica? Are you alright?" He asks hesitantly, absently wiping a glass out with a cloth, it's clean already, but he likes to keep his hands busy - especially when he's nervous.

She shrugs. "Fine, I'm fine." And looks down at her smoothie, not even drinking it anymore but just digging through the remains with her straw.

He stares at her, and for once to him she looks almost weak, almost, it as if he suddenly has a glimpse of the real Angelica hidden inside.

She notices him staring and looks away, quickly.

Chuckie swears he sees an almost red tint to her face and reaches out suddenly, he's not even sure what makes him do it - and, like a spirit possesed, he gently rubs his thumb and the back of his fingers across her smooth cheek. It's terribly soft, smooth as porcelain and just as flawless, he can feel her trembling under his touch. He feels lightheaded almost, dizzy - he wants to kiss her - and he's suprised that he wants to kiss her; so suprised that he drops his hand from her skin, quickly, as if she were made of ice.

Angelica leaves quickly after that, doing up the clasp on her Gucci bag and flinging the empty plastic cup across the room to land in the garbage can. Perfectly manicured fingers raising to wave him a shaky goodbye and pink strappy sandals out the door.

Chuckie wonders if it's maybe something he said, and the store seems oddly lonely as he closes up for the night, with only the breeze to whisper him a far off goodbye.

* * *

Parker: well, that's it for this short fanfic. I may add to it later, but for now I think it's finished.

Reviews would be lovely.


	2. Pt II

**Becoming a Man, Pt. II**

(A/N: Because you drove me to it)

* * *

**"And something in me yearns to win**

**such a cold and lonesome heroine.**

**"And who are you?" she sternly spoke**

**to the one beneath the smoke.**

**"Why, I'm the fire", he replied,**

**"And I love your solitude, I love your pride."**

**- Joan of Arc**

**Leonard Cohen**

* * *

The geek doesn't get the girl.

That's what he thought as he trudged home from his shift, the moon gazing from above as his nimble feet wove around the blots of gum that proliferated the sidewalk.

Chuckie ran a hand over his scruffy hair and replayed the moments from the Java Lava in his skull again - slow, foraging for some minute detail that would enlighten him as to what the hell had happened, exactly.

Angelica was difficult to puzzle out - a complicated knot that had Chuckie weaving in and out, trying to untangle her persona. Of course, he had known her in his childhood, but only as a mean girl he was sometimes forced to play with. She had always been as distant and unattainable as a star. And maybe that was part of the appeal, she was what he couldn't have. Beautiful and astute and popular and way out of his league. He didn't question why he'd wanted to kiss her. Sure, Angelica was devious - she knew how to manipulate people with more skill than the smoothest con man. But, in that single second when her gaze met his, she seemed vunerable. And so utterly kissable that Chuckie had found it hard to bare.

Chuckie was flung out of his thoughts as he stumbled over a pebble, one that he would later swear was placed there by some unseen force of fate or mischief. He saw the concrete rush up to meet him and felt his glasses fly off his face to land somwehere not too far. He knelt, patting the ground anxiously, his hands barely-discernable blobs in front of him. He felt air rush passed him as a car sped by, followed by what may have been perhaps the worst sound he had ever heard.

He knew where his glasses were now. He was directed to them by the sound of the cars tires, bending the metal frames until the lenses nestled in them cracked and then shattered, the glass making light tinkling noises as it spread over the asphalt.

He was dead.

More than dead.

It was the fourth pair of glasses he'd broken this month and the sixth pair he'd broken this year. At precisely one hundred and twenty dollars each he was already working double shifts at the Java Lava to pay back his dad, who was, by the way, already furious about his sons carelessness.

He was so dead.

He felt his way back until he reached what he assumed to be a chain link fence, and leaned his weight against it. Cursing that damned pebble - most likely placed there by Puck himself. He tried desperately not to hyperventilate. He knew that his dad's company had recently been having troubles, and due to said troubles his father had been knocked down from full-time to part-time. He couldn't go home and tell his dad to shell out another hundred or so for his stupidity.

He needed money, and fast. He weighed his options, with each one that passed he got more and more desperate. He wished Tommy were here, who, even though he was a year younger than he, was level headed and confident and a damn good leader. Tommy could usually be counted on to come up with some crazy plan to save the day.

But not this time, not when Tommy was nearly two states away most likely making out with his sister in some cheap hotel.

'_Oh god_', he thought, as a sudden wave of nausea rose in his stomach. Some things were just wrong.

'_Then again_', his logical mind calculated, '_Why judge Tommy when I almost kissed his cousin_'? He knew that if he had just lowered his head only a scarce inch, his lips would've touched Angelica's and changed everything that defined their love-hate relationship.

And then it hit him, and he felt stupid for not thinking of it earlier. There was only one person he knew that was constantly loaded with a seemingly endless supply of parental cash-flow.: Angelica.

Unfortunately Angelica was also the last person in the world who he wanted to call, but currently, what other choice did he have?

'Murphy's Law'. He thought, as the moon stared down to bare witness.

* * *

"You really messed up this time didn't you Finster?" He couldn't see her, still without glasses as he was. Angelica appeared before him as a smudge of blonde, but he could easily imagine her expression: Lips pursed, eyes narrowed, arms crossed over her chest. Cute, though he would never tell her.

He tapped his fingers on the table in front of him. He was in her apartment, a place he had been a scarce number of times with Tommy. He could smell something spicy in the air: chai tea, maybe.

He stiffened as he felt the cool skin of her hand against his, pressing something discernibly plastic into his palm.

"They're my Dad's extra pair, I don't think they're your prescription, but..." She shrugged her shoulders. "Try them."

He smiled her - hoping she couldn't see his retainer- and eased the frames onto his face. The blurs and blobs that made up the room separated themselves and shifted into something somewhat visible.

She was sitting across from him, blue eyes inquisitive. Her hair framed her face perfectly, and he noticed with a slight hint of relief that she wasn't wearing makeup. He liked her better bare, without her war paint on.

"So? How are they?" She intoned. There was a cup of something hot and steaming in front of her, but she made no move to drink it.

He squinted, he could see, but lines still blured and he had a feeling that he'd get a major headache if he wore the pair too long.

"Umm, okay I guess. I can see everything pretty clear actually, it is a little off, but I guess they'll work until I can save up for new ones, thanks."

Angelica narrowed her gaze, "Finster, do you seriously think I'm going to let you walk around wearing the wrong prescription? My little cousin would kill me if you walked off a street corner or something. I'm taking you to get new ones first thing in the morning. Trust me, I'm feeling generous, I wont even make you pay me back" He saw a devious twinkle light up her eyes before she continued. "In cash that is. Don't worry, I'll think of a suitable way to have you pay your debt."

The smile she wore could've belonged to the Cheshire Cat himself.

And there he was again, the mouse standing trembling in front of her python maw. He could imagine the things she would make him do: be her slave for a month or something of that nature. He sighed, knowing he shouldn't let her push him around, but also knowing that he wasn't really in a position to disagree with her proposal; whatever it may be.

She smiled behind her cup before raising it to her lips, her nails were painted pink and contrasted sharply with the plain white mug.

"Alright fair enough."

She looked at him, curious once more. "Why don't you keep a back up pair? If I hadn't answered my cell what would you have done, tried to feel your way home?"

From the way she phrased it and her intonation, he could tell she was kidding. He blushed hotly and avoided her gaze. Because if she hadn't answered her phone that was probably exactly what he would've done.

She rolled her eyes, and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "boys," before tossing a pair of car keys into his face.

"Warm up the car Finster, I'll drive you home."

The next morning found him standing on the sidewalk, rain ruining the hair which he'd tried so hard to flatten, condensation fogging up his borrowed lenses. He was wearing a long brown coat his uncle had given him for christmas the year previous. His step-mother had insisted he wear it, and he felt like the King of Nerds.

He had stayed up most of the night previously, regarding the moon warily and wondering just what the hell had been going on lately. He and Tommy were growing apart, Phil and Lil were both going to University next year across state; on full Soccer Scholarships no less. And Angelica was not only being civil towards him, but actually was going out her way to be kind.

Madness. Pure Madness.

And that same madness is what caused he to roll out of bed, put on some pants that for the most part, smelled clean, and nervously await Angelica's arrival.

He had an alien feeling of apprehension bubbling in his gut and forcing up to his throat, making him anxious and nervous for reasons he wasn't entirely sure of. When Angelica pulled up to the curb in a pink convertible which would rival that of her old Cynthia doll, he felt his heart make a sickening lurch. Per usual, the spoiled blonde looked flawless, cool as a movie star lounging behind the steering wheel, cat eyes a la Hepburn adorning her blue orbs.

He sputtered, before finally forcing out a weak half-mumbled greeting and climbing into the car. His blush felt hot on his cheeks, but if Angelica noticed she didn't say anything. In fact, she smiled a small, secret smile and started the car.

Getting the glasses was uneventful, though the man who fitted his frames did reek of anise.

Afterwards, Angelica dropped a fat wad of cash at the check out, and didn't bat an eye. She must've noticed Chuckie's guilty look though, because she smartly intoned "Don't worry Finster, to me, that's nothing but pocket change."

The redhead still couldn't help but feel a little emasculated. He felt like the guy who couldn't pay for coffee on the first date. He didn't have a lot of money, he made minimum wage, and usually devoted most of his paycheck to a new videogame of some sort. Angelica had gotten everything she'd ever wanted, from the Cynthia Dream house when she was six to the deluxe sports car at sixteen. She'd gone to the poshest of posh restaurants, stayed at five star hotels, and had regular vacations to the Caribbean and Cancun. He looked down at his worn red chucks, the sole was just starting to peel and made a flapping sound as he walked. He sighed, and thanked Angelica with as much goodwill as he could muster.

He was broke.

Low-class.

A geek of the highest stature.

And the geek doesn't get the girl.

* * *

Things sort of went back to normal in the following weeks.

Angelica was once again treating he like the scum of the Earth, he'd only seen her once since her moment of kindness, passing him in the hall with one of her popular, gorgeous friends. He nearly stopped to say Hi, but her sneer clearly said, "Don't talk to me," and the message was duplicated in her narrowed eyes.

Tommy had returned as well, "Best Young Director" Award in hand. And though Chuckie still wasn't comfortable with the amount of time Tommy was spending with his sister, he didn't voice it; happy enough to have his best friend back.

Phil and Lil even found time in their hectic practice schedule to come over and play a round of "Avenging Souls," with the whole gang. And for a moment, a precious island of normalcy formed, and things in the Universe made sense.

Then the moment ended.

* * *

It was a clear night, stars like glitter scattered across a velvet sky. And Chuckie Finster padded across the pavement, his worn red chucks flap-flapping in time to the broken tune he was whistling.

His shift at the Java Lava had gone smoothly for once, he hadn't made any major mistakes or had an embarrassing moment of clumsiness. And, by the time he closed up shop for the night, his tip jar was full to the brim in customer gratitude. He felt accomplished, but tired.

He was famished as well, his stomach voicing its complaints without shame. And he decided he may as well put some of his extra cash to use and ducked into the nearest convenience store.

The man at the counter, short and aging with a receding hairline, nodded sleepily in Chuckie's direction when he entered, but paid him no further heed. Chuckie browsed the aisles for a while, trying to make a decision on which type of snack he should get. They had Crunchy Chews, which were Tommy's favorite candy, and he was debating whether or not he should buy them and pay his best friend a late-night visit when he heard the clerk shout.

The redhead turned and promptly paled, two men, their faces covered, stood at the counter. One, a hulking figure, was waving a gun in the clerks face, demanding the frightened man open the till. The other appeared unarmed, a purple bandanna obscuring his features though it was clear he was peering out the door, keeping watch.

Chuckie held his breath. So far they hadn't noticed him, and, if he was lucky they wouldn't. He was partially hidden by a magazine rack, but if he could scoot a foot or so to the left he would be completely hidden by the cooler behind it, and would possibly be able to use his cell phone to call for help. Trying to keep his breathing as quiet as possible, he edged slowly to his destination, worming his cell phone rom his pocket to his hand. The clerk was now frantically stuffing cash into a bag. And when the poor man finished, and the bag was full, the gunman violently rammed the butt of his weapon into the clerks face, knocking him out cold.

'Just a few more inches, Finster." He mentally coached himself. He got as far as the opposite edge of the magazine rack when the flapping sole on his worn shoe stuck to the floor and slid, making a horrible squeaking sound.

'Fuck.'

The man in the purple bandanna was on him like a fly on shit, tossing him to the ground roughly. His head hit the sharp edge of the magazine rack, and it fell, scattering magazines across the tiled floor so they resembled wounded birds.

The man's bandanna had flown off, but so had Chuckie's glasses, so all he saw in front of him was a malevolent looking blob. The blob gestured to him, "Look at this little punk, trying to call the cops were you?" His phone was still clasped in his sweaty hand.

He shook his head, "N-no." He'd tried to keep his voice steady, but it betrayed him.

The man laughed, a harsh wheeze, and he picked up an unknown shape from the ground. "Glasses? Should've known a little bitch nerd like you would need glasses." He waved them in front of Chuckie's face. "I wonder kid, how well can you see without these?"

Another voice, presumably the man with the gun cut in, "Let's go man, cops'll be here any second."

"What if this little shit saw me man? My fucking bandanna fell off. Yeah, leave, just so he can give our descriptions to the cops. How stupid are you?"

There was a moment of silence, "Should I shoot him then?"

He stopped breathing, his heart went cold in his chest and he began to panic. This was how he was going to die, shot on the floor on a convenience store. He should've just gone home after work, gone straight home and ignored his teenage need for sugary junk food and processed snacks.

"Nah," Purple Bandanna replied, "I think I'll just teach this punk a lesson. Once I'm done he wont be telling the cops shit." Chuckie could practically hear the mans smile, each word dripping with pleasure.

Purple Bandanna got up, gripping him by the collar and hauling him to his feet. He slammed the glasses back onto Chuckie's face and the store became visible. Unfortunately, so did the sneering face in front of him. He saw the man's ham hock of an arm pull back, before it rammed forward, punching him in the face.

The force of the impact sent the redhead sprawling into a soda display. Stars dancing behind his eyes as cans fell all around him, exploding like bombs and leaking their fizzy brown innards on the floor. He groaned, struggling to stand up as his feet slid on the wet floor. The man was advancing towards him, the Goliath come to squash him into submission. His glasses were sitting oddly on his face, and he realized with surprising fury that they were once again, broken.

He snapped.

The hulking beast coming towards him represented every bully who'd beaten him up because he was an easy target, every girl who laughed at him because he wasn't good enough to date them, every person who'd treated him like shit because he was smaller and weaker.

Enough was enough.

When he replayed the moments later in his head, they all seemed to blur together. The man had been coming towards him and he had felt a cold, glittering fury rise up in his chest, consuming his body like tsunami and taking over his every rational thought.

There was a fire extinguisher strapped to the wall in the adjacent corner that he hadn't noticed before. He stayed still up until the last second and then lunged for it. His attacker tried to stop him, but Chuckie was small and fast, and darted under the man's raised arm. He heard a gun shot and the glass of the drink cooler behind him exploded in a shower of glass, another shot followed which came so close to hitting him he felt the bullet whizz by his neck. He reached the extinguisher, wrenching it from the wall and swinging it behind him with a surprising force he didn't even know he had. He clocked Purple Bandanna in the head, hitting him with a resounding thud. The man crumpled to the floor, and didn't get up.

Chuckie wheeled around, the larger man with the gun was pulling the trigger, but nothing was happening but a strange grinding sound. He was either out of ammo, or his weapon had jammed. Either way, Chuckie wasn't going to wait to find out. He ran at the man, stumbling across glass and soda on the floor and tackling him mid-chest. They both fell to the floor and he heard the gun clatter across the tile, safely out of reach.

A struggle ensued, he and the gunman were a tangle of limbs, and though his attacker had the advantage when it came to strength, Chuckie was small and fierce and had gotten his ass kicked enough times to learn a few tricks. He dug his elbow into the mans ribs, using his other hand to repeatedly slam the gunman's head against the floor. Over, and over, and over. The man meanwhile was grabbing at Chuckie's neck, trying to choke him and pulling his hair so hard he could've sworn he got a bit of scalp. he twisted, his face turning purple as he struggled for breath. Dots begain to cloud his vision, and he knew he had to end this fight or he was going to pass out; if he passed out he had no doubt that this man would kill him. His head felt as if it were swelling, pressure building to a dangerous dizzying point. Chuckie let out a strangled sound, and, having no idea if it would work or not, head butted the man as hard as he could.

He sucked in one, precious breath before the world went black.

* * *

Chuckie groaned softly, something was pressing against his head. Something cool and soft and soothing, he sighed. It was Angelica, her smooth white hands massaging his temples, her hair framing her face in golden waves.

"Angelica?"

"You have to wake up, okay son? You may have a concussion."

"What?" He was confused, and her face was fading, the voice had been obviously masculine. He called her name again.

"I'm not Angelica, boy, now wake up."

Chuckie's head cleared and his eyes fluttered open. A man in blue kneeled above him. A police officer, he realized hazily. He tried to sit up, but the man held him down.

"Woah there boy, slow down. I can't let you move until the paramedics have a look at you, okay?"

He nodded weakly, it felt like a parade had just marched through his man took out a cloth that once was probably white, but now was stained rust-red with blood. He pressed it to Chuckie's forehead and it felt cool and soothing. He realized that the blood was probably his.

Chuckie waited on the floor for what felt like forever, before the paramedic finally arrived. She was a short Latino woman who examined him with white rubber gloves. She asked him a few questions, which he hazily answered, shined a flashlight into his eyes, and asked him to count for her. He didn't know why she was asking him those things, but he complied and she seemed satisfied.

"You don't have a concussion," She assured him, her voice was clipped and professional, as if she'd seen this so many times it was simply commonplace. "But you will probably have a bad headache and be sore for the next few days. Take some painkillers and you should be fine." He nodded and she smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her teeth where a dazzling shade of white.

"Good, you can get up now if you'd like, I think Officer Scott has some questions he'd like you to answer."

The officer did, in fact, have many questions, and by the time Chuckie was done answering them all, his parents as well as half the town were waiting anxiously outside. Officer Scott flipped his notebook closed with a sigh, "Well, that's about all the questions I have for you m'boy. There will be a court hearing of course, but do to non-disclosure laws I have to ask that you please not tell any major details of this case to any papers or news broadcasts until the hearing is over, okay?"

He blinked, confused. "Sorry Sir, by why would any newspapers want to speak to me?"

It was the officers turn to look confused, his mustache standing stiffly atop his frowning mouth. "You don't know? , you just caught two serial criminals that we've been trying to nab for months. When my team arrived, we found both the men you'd knocked out as well as yourself. You've done a very brave thing, son. Stupid, but brave."

The redhead blushed, staring down at his lap. He thought for sure when he'd awoken that the two men had gotten away, but obviously his head butt had been enough to save his life and knock the gunman out. "Is the clerk okay?" He asked shyly.

The officer nodded, "He's fine son, now, I'm going to have a quick word with your parents and then I'll send them in okay?"

His father and step-mother exchanged a few words with Officer Scott, before rushing in to meet their son. He assumed he looked a little worse for wear since both his parents couldn't seem to stop coddling him, asking repeatedly if he was okay or needed anything. They nearly suffocated him, and he didn't manage to shake them loose until Phil, Lil, Tommy and Kimmy showed up.

"Woah man, so you're like, a full fledged hero now, y'know?" Phil was, as usual, quick to try to lighten the mood.

Chuckie grins, and is ready to respond with a witty comment when his notices something, Tommy is holding Kimmy's hand, their fingers intertwined in a way that could only be an intimate gesture.

He narrows his eyes, when another thought strikes him, Kimmy didn't show up with their parents, she showed up with Tommy. And what would his little sister be doing with his best friend at this hour? He takes another look at them, Tommy's hair is disheveled and so are Kimmy's clothes. His sister's lips are red and swollen and her cheeks are still flushed. Chuckie knows he should just let it slide, and wait until he and Tommy are alone before bringing it up. But he's still coursing with adrenline and he's frustrated and angry and confronts his friend right there.

"So, how long has this been going on?" He asks the question calmly, but anyone who knows him can hear the ice in his voice.

"Hmm? What?" It's Phil who asks, but Tommy's expression shifts to one of subtle panic.

"I was asking my apparent best friend, so Tommy..." He pauses, Kimmy is looking frantically between him and Tommy, feeling the tension build. "When were you going to tell me that you're hooking up with my fucking _sister?_" The last part ends up being a rough growl, and he feels his blood boiling.

Tommy sighs, rubbing his temples."Since before the film festival, which is why she got my extra ticket and you didn't. I tried to tell you, but the time never seemed right, how're you supposed to tell your best

friend that you're dating their sister?" He sounds sorry, but Chuckie hardly notices.

He and Tommy are close, closer than most brothers, there were no secrets between them. At least, that's what Chuckie had thought, but now he felt betrayed. Left in the dark for so long that he wondered what other things Tommy may have kept from him.

"With words, a note, a text. Anything really. That's what a friend would do, tell me the truth. Not lie to me for two months and go behind my back." The words are said snidely, he's doing something he rarely does and is going out of his way to start a fight.

That's when Tommy gets defensive. "I didn't tell you because I was afraid you'd fly off the handle and oh, look, that's just what happened. And you know what? There's no reason to take your jealousy out on me."

Chuckie is abruptly stunned by Tommy's assumption. "Jealous? Why would I be jealous?" he demands, rage making his hands curl into fists. Rage making him stupid.

Tommy sighs again, "Face it he, since we started high school, you've been jealous of me. I mean, I know girls haven't really shown interest in you, but that's no reason to take it out on me. I hoped you could be happy for me, but you're acting like a big baby. Fuck you, man."

He can't take it anymore, he punches Tommy in the face, effectively shutting him up and bruising his knuckles while he's at it. Tommy stumbles back, and stares at Chuckie as if he's unrecognizable.

Chuckie glares, because now he knows. Tommy wasn't his friend. Tommy saw him like everyone else did: a weak, pathetic nerd that he could treat like crap and boss around, someone to pity when they didn't have a date to the dance. Chuckie storms out, sidestepping his ex-best friend and ignoring Lil's shouts of: "Chuckie, wait!"

He doesn't know where he's going, he knows he just needs to get out of here.

* * *

He's still pissed when his feet lead him to Angelica's apartment building. The impressive brownstone is the most expensive apartment complex in town, and you can tell just by looking at it. Chuckie looks pretty low class by comparasion. He buzzes himself in and storms into the lobby, passing a man in a business suit who gives him a lingering glance, as if debating whether to call security or not.

Chuckie takes the stairs two at a time, he always takes the stairs because it makes him feel like at least he's getting a small amount of physical activity in, that, and the elevators make him clasustrophobic.

When he reaches Angelica's door, the gold embossed 72 greets him and he knocks, hard.

His knocks are ignored.

He presses his ear to the door, he can hear Angelica talking to someone over the drone of the TV.

"Angelica! Open up!" His shouts echo across the hallway, startlingly loud. He doesn't care. Angelica must've heard him this time, or decided to stop ignoring him, because she stops talking abruptly. He can hear her stomping loudly to the door, angry, as usual.

"What do you want Finster?" She screeches from behind the wood. "Can't you tell I have company! Go bother your merry band of losers, they may actually value your pathetic self, though I wouldn't make the same mistake." She laughs, cold and cruel and Chuckie decides he's getting sick and tired of her dual personality. He hears giggling in the background, and realizes she must be with one of her preppier friends.

He's even angrier now, so he feels the need to embarrass her with his retort, "Says the girl who almost kissed me the other day."

The giggling stops with a scandalized gasp. And he can hear Angelica threatening her friend, "I swear Sam, if anyone finds out what was just uttered,_ everyone _is going to hear about what happened last year at Slater's party."

Chuckie's amused by Angelica's cunning, and wonders if she keeps blackmail on all her friends.

It takes a moment for Angelica to address him again, but when she does her voice is lilting and angry.

"Finster, I don't know what you're trying to do here, but how dare you insinuate -" He cuts her off by banging repeatedly on the door. He doesn't stop until she complies and wrenches it open.

"Sorry Sam, looks like Finster's got something on his mind." Angelica's friend edges past him, pursing her lips as she does so.

Angelica turns towards him then, and takes a deep breath, most likely getting ready to turn this into a full-on screaming match. But then, she looks up at his face and gasps, her angry words forgotten.

He grimaces, and realizes how bad he must look. His eyebrow is split and his glasses are broken from the robbery. He has hand shaped bruises ringing his neck and his knuckles are raw. He winces when Angelica brings up a hand and hesitantly runs it across his jaw.

"Chuckie." She breathes.

"I punched your cousin." He says, leaning into her hand and feeling his anger ebb.

She laughs, a startling sound, like ice breaking over water. And just seeing her when she laughs, so real and unguarded, proves to be too much for him to bear. In one fluid motion, he pulls her to him and kisses her.

He knows that he's kissing Angelica Pickles, Queen of Mean, but instead of disturbing him, it invigorates him; causing him to deepen the kiss and edge her back into her apartment, closing the door with his foot.

Once they're safely tucked against the opposite wall of the entry way, Angelica surprises him by softly responding, moving her lips against his with surprising eagerness. Her mouth opens and their tongues brush. It's dizzying to kiss her, and he does so roughly, so when he pulls back she breathes heavily from excitement and her lips are bruised.

He let's her catch her breath, then catches her chin and brings their lips together once more.

* * *

The rest of the night passes slow and languidly, minutes dripping by like honey. He lounges on her couch as she feeds him cans of coke and pain killers and puts cool cloths on his head.

They don't talk much, but rather they communicate through looks and caresses. When they do talk, He's surprised to find that underneath the spoiled rich-girl mask, a girl exists who was hiding before. Vunerable and insecure, and so deserving of love.

She shows him her noteboooks, thousand of them with soft leather-bound covers. Nothing but the best hand cut pages. The word they are filled with are priceless, the words of an angsty, angry girl.

He's suprised by her skill. Her words flow, smooth and luxiourious on his tongue. Like rich, dark chocolate.

She blushes hotly, and mumbles something under her breath, something about how she isn't very good.

He quipps back a remark about fishing for compliments and she glares.

She reminded him of a Sphinx. Made of riddles and layers. Mysterious. Beautiful. Deadly.

She thinks he should give Tommy a second chance, and Chuckie scoffs at that, though he isn't even really angry, not anymore.

He wonders aloud where her parents are, and she smiles a sad little smile and tells him not to worry. Her parents are rarely home anymore. She think's it's because her father doesn't want to see her mother, and her mother doesn't want to see her.

And Chuckie decides, right there, that her parents must be crazy not to want to spend every minute with this amazing girl.

And he pulls her to him, tucking her head under his chin and ignoring her feeble protests. He hates seeing her upset. He wants her to smile, and laugh a lot. He loves how fiery she is, her determination and passion. Chuckie wishes he could be like that.

The blonde falls asleep with her head pillowed on his shoulder, and he kisses her once more, on the crest of her head, before he slides himself out from under her, arranging blankets snugly around her frame. He casts her a final glance before he leaves, locking the door behind him.

When he gets home, Tommy is asleep on his couch. And he realizes with a start that his friend has waited all night for him to get home. He smiles, and his anger dissipates, leaving him feeling lighter.

He falls into a fitful sleep, filled with leering faces and cerulean eyes.

* * *

He is awoken by the smell of bacon and eggs, and his stomach screams of it's need to be filled.

His red hair tickles his arm as he stretches, eliciting a popping sound in his shoulder. Chuckie feels stiff and sore and guesses correctly that he'll probably be feeling aches and pains for the next couple of days.

When he reaches the kitchen, he's surprised to see Tommy wielding the spatula. His friend must've heard him enter, as Tommy turns to face him, scratching the back of his neck.

"Hey Chuckie,"

He looks at the floor, the moment is about as awkward as it can get. Then he apoligetically shrugs, "I made breakfast."

He holds up a plate where the bacon and eggs are arranged to look like a smiley face.

"See, it's happy to see you!" He half-heartedly grins from behind the plate, then sets it gingerly on the table. Tommy's not acting like his usual confident self. He's acting unsure, and Chuckie is strangely empowered by this.

_'Who's the sidekick, now?'_

When he makes no move to sit down Tommy frowns.

"Listen, I know I said some things last night I shouldn't have. I was being an asshole. And I should've told you sooner, a lot sooner. So, I'm sorry." Tommy looks at the grown sheepishly, burying his hands in his pockets.

Chuckie obediently sits in front of the plate, nudging the eggs with his fork. "You know, I'm still mad at you, and breakfast isn't going to make up for it." The redhead wrinkles his nose, "Especially with your cooking."

Tommy smiles, and sits at the table across from him, nursing a cup of coffee. "I know, I felt pretty bad for keeping it a secret. So, I broke things off with Kimmy." His voice wavers when he says her name, it doesn't go unnoticed by Chuckie.

He sighs, and decides he might as well come clean. "Listen Tommy, go ahead and date my sister, I'd rather she date you than some of the other guys who go to our school. I was mostly mad - i'm still a little mad, actually - that you left me in the dark for so long. But, I'm kind of seeing someone too..." He blushes and takes the plunge, '... "I'm uh, kind of seeing Angelica."

Tommy looks like someone just broke a plate over his head, he blinks, then it finally registers.

"WHAT!"

"Glad to see you're taking this so well," Chuckie deadpans, swallowing a portion of bacon.

Tommy shakes his head, and raises his coffe cup in a salute, "Chuckie Finster, you are the bravest man I've ever met." He sips, then frowns "But, the universe no longer make sense."

Chuckie grins, and proceeds to tell his best friend just how long he's been telling himself the same thing.

* * *

The next few days fall into a pattern of Chuckie trying to talk to Angelica and Angelica firmly ignoring him, determined to act as if nothing ever happened between them. Tommy gets back together with Kimmy so fast that Chuckie wondered if they'd actually broken up in the first place. One thing did change, drastically, because when Chuckie Finster walked into school Monday morning, he suddenly discovered he was _popular._

It was comparable only to walking into the Twilight Zone.

Turns out, his moment of heroism had spread like wildfire over the weekend to the point where jocks are patting him on the back, he's getting invited to parties, and, he opens up his locker to find no less than four love notes. He's not used to people taking notice of him, whispering behind him as he walks through the halls, and he's not entirely sure if he likes it.

On Wednesday he's bending over at the drinking fountain after second period when someone taps him on the shoulder.

"Hey."

He's startled, and hits his head on the tap. He turns and see's a dark haired girl standing behind him. She looks vaguely familiar, but he can't seem to place her.

She must've noticed his look, because she giggles. "I'm Sam, sorry I didn't introduce myself properly, I was the one at Angelica's apartment the other night."

He suddenly places her, she's the girl Angelica threatened and then kicked out. "Right, sorry, I'm Chuckie."

She giggles again, but her eyes narrow like she's stalking prey. "I know who you are. Trust me everyone knows who Chuckie Finster, the hero, is."

He frowns, "That doesn't mean you know me."

"Well what do you say for us getting to know each other?" She pets his arm seductively and he pulls away, quickly. She's undeterred though, and just smiles wider. "We should go on a date, what do you say?"

He's confused, why does this girl, who didn't even know he existed last week want to go out with him now? Yeah, there was the whole hero thing, but that still didn't make him anything like the handsome jocks he was sure this girl usually dated.

"Why me?"

She rolls her eyes like it's obvious, "Because, Angelica is queen bee of this school. I put up with her and pretend to be her friend because it makes me popular by association. But, if I date you, not only a full fledged hero but someone Angelica has been involved with, well, we'd become even more popular than her. It would knock that bitch down a peg, don't you think?"

He doesn't know what to say. This girl is obviously serious, and it repulses him. Have all Angelica's friend's been like that? He muses, just hanging out with her to gain popularity?

Chuckie shakes his head, "No thanks, I'd really rather not date someone like you."

Sam looks like she's been slapped in the face, her painted red lips opened wide in a shocked O. Then her face contorts into an ugly expression and she sneers at him, "Whatever loser, you're lucky I even asked you out in the first place, last month I wouldn't have gone out with you if you'd begged."

That's just the beginning of her tirade, but he just chuckles and walks away from her. Leaving her open mouthed and furious behind him.

* * *

Samantha Roland should've been the most popular girl at this pathetic high school. She should be the one most likely to win prom queen. She should have the rest of the school following her every move, indulging her every whim. Instead, she's stuck having to kiss ass to that blonde bitch, Angelica Pickles.

It wasn't fair, Samantha was just as pretty as Angelica, her skin just as flawless, her hair just as sleek. She even had more money than Angelica, her father worked at an impressive law firm. But what she didn't have, was cunning.

Angelica had been ruthless in her pursuit to be popular. She had a sharp, skilled tongue and could think up witty comebacks on the spot. And she wasn't above resorting to blackmail.

When Sam had heard that juicy tidbit at Angelica's apartment the other night, she was brimming with happiness. Finally, she had some blackmail of her own that she could use against the blonde. Sam had walked into school on Monday, fully prepared to ruin Angelica's reputation when she revealed how the blonde had been associating with possibly the biggest nerd in school. But then, of course, she heard the news, that the night before the wimpy nerd who couldn't stand up to common bullies had somehow managed to fight off two robbers. Chuckie Finster's social standing had increased ten-fold, and he was now probably one of the most popular guys in school. His overnight jump to highschool royalty rendered Sam's piece of blackmail against Angelica, useless.

Sam's last ditch attempt had been to ask him out, and if word got around that he outright refused her, well, then she'd be the one with the ruined reputation.

She was desperate, she was angry, and she had never been very smart. So the first thing she did was set out to hurt Angelica. The blonde wasn't hard to find, lounging against her locker in-between periods. Sam pasted a huge smile on her face and walked up to Angelica, proceeding to tell a huge lie which was, never less, effective.

"Omigosh, Angelica! You'll never guess who just asked me to prom!"

As Sam went on, adding embellishments to her story and giggling where appropriate, she watched Angelica's face fall and couldn't help smiling in triumph.

* * *

The final bell had just rung, and Chuckie was digging through his locker, searching for his scientific calculator, when Tommy approached him. His best friend didn't look too happy, a frown etched onto his face.

"What's this I hear about you cheating on my cousin?" Tommy's voice sounds furious, but Chuckie is stunned by the sudden accusation.

"If I cheated on Angelica, that's news to me. Where'd you get that idea from?" He proceeds to dig through his locker, once again in search of his elusive calculator.

"Well everyone's talking about how you asked Samantha Roland to prom, and I saw Angelica leaving right before third period, she looked pretty upset. I know Angelica's not the nicest person, but if you're messing with her just to get back at her that's not cool."

He puts his hands up in front of him, halting Tommy's onslaught of words. "Woah, woah, woah. Sam asked me out, and I said 'No', that girl's bad news." He processed Tommy's words, "Angelica looked upset?"

Tommy fidgeted, uncomfortable talking about his cousin's feelings. "She looked like she was holding back tears."

"Shit."

"Shit is right, somehow Angelica got the idea that you were going after other girls, so I suggest you find her and explain."

He nodded, "Thanks Tommy," and started sprinting down the hall, determined to track down Angelica and explain. Tommy shouts at him, "Hey wait up, I'll give you a ride!"

He slows, nearly tripping over his feet, and nods.

* * *

A few moments later they're buckling into Tommy's blue civic, the small little car makes weak sounds of protest as Tommy starts it up, but runs smoothly after that.

He's still thinking over the situation in his head, how could things have gone so wrong, so fast?

They try Angelica's apartment, but she's not home. She's not answering her cell phone either. They try the mall, the cineplex, hell they even try the arcade, but she's nowhere to be found. He's actually starting to get a little worried and drums his fingers on the dash, what if some maniac snatched her up? It was pretty much unheard of in this small neighborhood, but that didn't mean it couldn't happen.

They round a corner and He spots Susie. Their darker friend is wearing a yellow sundress that makes her stick out like a sore thumb, and Tommy waves her over.

"Hey Susie, have you seen Angelica?"

Susie looks at them strangely, "Yeah, I just saw her at the Java Lava, why?"

Tommy just hits the gas, shouting over his shoulder that he'll explain later.

Chuckie smacks his head, he can't believe that he didn't think to check the Java Lava. Tommy pats his back, "Hey don't worry man, you always find them the last place you look, right?"

He nods, but still can't help but feel like a full fledged idiot. Hopefully, things will turn out alright.

* * *

The Java Lava looks the same as it always does, packed full of student's who've just got off school. The red leather peeling off the stools in some places. And the rich smell of roasted coffee beans in the air. But never before had he felt more happy to see Angelica sitting at one of the tables.

She has her head bent over a book, and he's surprised, because he's never seen her read before. Then again, he never really made an effort to get to know her before, who knew what secrets the blonde temptress held. Her hair was covering her face, and her shoulders were slumped. She was fiddling with a straw in her smoothie, but wasn't drinking it. Dill was working today and chances are he hadn't made it right, Chckie was the only person who ever made Angelica's complicated smoothie order correctly.

He takes a deep breath, he knows that he's about to go into the lion's den, but he steels himself, and bravely plunks down on the seat next to her.

She doesn't even look at him. "Fuck off, Finster." Her voice sounds heated and sharp, but also tired.

He doesn't respond, just sits next to her. He knows her well enough by now to know that to respond would be a bad move. He would either start a fight, or bow to her, and he wasn't willing to do either.

The blonde continues, her nails looking like deadly knives as they dig into her palm. "I thought you'd changed, Finster. You were different, not such a baby anymore. You started fighting back when I was mean to you, rather than just doing what I said, it... intrigued me. You seemed taller somehow, more mature, a man, I guess. And then I started talking to you, and you were smart too, I didn't have to dumb myself down to talk to you like everyone else. I showed you parts of myself no one has seen. And you threw it in my face. And I let you kiss me! God, I must be an idiot, to think you were anything else than the loser everyone said you were. Hope you have fun with Samantha, asshole. Oh, and by the way, she got herpes from Slater last year, enjoy."

Angelica goes to sit up and leave, and He knows this is his chance. He grabs her arm.

"Let go of me!" She moves to slap him, and he lets her, leaving a raw imprint of her palm against his face.

"Angelica," He says calmly, looking right at her, "I didn't ask Sam out, I didn't. She asked me, and I turned her down."

Angelica stares at him, and the gears start to click in place. The way Sam had told her so loudly, making sure everyone could hear. It wasn't even clever, Angelica didn't know why'd she'd fallen for it.

The blonde finally looks at him, and He can see she's been crying, her mascara smudged against her cheeks.

"Why didn't you say yes when she asked you out. She's pretty and popular, and nicer than me. Everything you've ever wanted. So why'd you turn her down?" It's a silly question, voiced by Angelica's own insecurities, but the redhead chuckles and decides to indulge her. He leans in close, until she can feel the heat of their bodies pressed together, and speaks softly against her neck, so his lips brush against her with each word.

"Because she's not you."

Angelica shivers, and he gazes down at her, and, deciding he likes what he sees reflected in her eyes, swiftly kisses her.

Dill starts to wolf whistle, and he briefly pulls away to flip him the bird, before returning to the task at hand

* * *

The moon was high and full when he nervously knocked at Angelica's door. He was dressed in a white tux that Angelica insisted made him look "terribly handsome," and had finally gotten his glasses repaired the weekend prior. He was sweating like a pig and super nervous, he didn't give two shits about prom. But, Angelica had been practically giddy with excitement, fussing over this or that or some other minute detail for the past month. he wanted the night to be everything she'd been hoping. He felt like he'd waited a century before Angelica opened the door, and his jaw dropped.

He knew she'd look beautiful, hell, she always looked beautiful; but today she looked down right stunning. He didn't think it had to do with the fancy dress or makeup, though those certainly added to the overall effect, it was more like her expression. The blonde was smiling a true, unguarded smile, and her blue eyes were sparkling. Her grumpy attitude had started to evaporate slowly, especially since she'd found out her and he would be able to go to the same University, thanks to the redhead's naturally good grades and some heavy handed donations from her Dad.

Still though, for a moment, he was at a loss for words. Her hair was a sleek and shiny, and her dress was a strapless short number in a shade of icy blue. She didn't go over the top like some of the other girls he'd seen, piling their heads with ringlets and drowning in pouffy shimmering gowns. This look was sophisticated and sexy, and he found he couldn't even string a sentence together.

"Well hello there, Angelica, my beloved girlfriend. Might I say you look ravishing tonight?" Angelica said with some sarcasm but no bite.

he grinned and slipped the corsage of a white peony with blue forget-me-nots onto Angelica's wrist. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

She smacked him playfully, but then grabbed his tie and pulled him close. "By the way, you look fucking sexy, in that tux." She made her voice husky and nipped at his ear as she said it. he felt all the blood pool in his neither regions as she said so and felt his ears burning. They hadn't done anything, yet, but that didn't deter Angelica from teasing him whenever she found the opportunity. She laughed, gleefully triumphant and started off toward the stairs.

She turned and winked, "Hurry up Finster, can't leave the limo waiting, after all." He grumbled and tried his best to think unsexy thoughts as he stalked awkwardly down the hall.

* * *

When they arrived at the school the Gymnasium was packed, multicolored lights filled the room. Tommy was there with Kimmy, who looked quite pleased to be one of the only juniors invited to prom. Tommy was wearing a powder blue tux, an ironically cool look that he actually pulled off. Kimmy was wearing a lime green dress and had her hair up in pigtails. Quite a few of the senior guys were actually giving he's sister slow once-overs, so he was relieved to say the least when Tommy pulled her protectively closer to him, making it known the cute Asian was indeed, taken.

Phil was actually with Susie, which came as a surprise to everyone until Phil awkwardly fiddled with his cufflinks and explained they were just going as friends. Even so, Susie looked lovely in a flashy gold number, and Phil didn't clean up so bad himself.

The biggest surprise of the night came when they finally spotted Lil. Their friend was wearing a cute pink frock and had her hair done up in an intricate bun. The whole look came off very soft and delicate, it made Lil - Tom-boyish, mud slinging Lil, - look decidedly feminine.

Chuckie wolf whistled at her, "Looking good, Lil!"

Lil heard and scanned the room until she saw her group of friends. Tommy beckoned her over and she complied, bringing someone with her. What surprised everyone was seeing who her date was: Clyde Wilson, hockey player extraordinaire and most popular guy in school.

Tommy's jaw dropped and Phil spluttered. They'd all assumed Lil was going stag, she'd kept awfully quiet about prom the last few weeks.

She blushed and shrugged, "Surprise?"

Tommy found his voice first, "Hey Clyde, umm, glad you're going with Lil and all, but, I thought you were going with Sam Roland?"

Clyde frowned, "Yeah, I was going to, but then Slater told everyone that he gave her herpes. Can't believe the guy had enough guts to admit that, but, to tell the truth, Sam's got a mean attitude on her too. I only agreed to go with her in the first place since she pretty much begged me. So between her bitchiness and the herpes thing, I just decided to go with someone who was actually worth my time," He looked down at Lil with unguarded affection before continuing. "And trust me, I'm glad I did."

Chuckie smiled, happy for Lil, and then he looked over at Angelica. "You don't look too surprised."

She smiled, "Well, I may have told Slater that if he didn't fess up, I'd let his mom know about the dimebag of weed he keeps in his boxspring."

He let out a low whistle, "Remind me again to never get on your bad side."

She hummed against his lips, "Hmmmm, I do have a lot of blackmail on you by now: The six straight days you spent playing one videogame, your Star Trek boxers, the teddy bear you still have under your bed - "

He pressed his forehead against hers, "It would be wise not to displease the only person who makes your beloved smoothies correctly, and please, leave Mr. Buns out of it." His voice was low and smooth and she could feel it rumbling in his chest and she leaned against him. "Besides, I have a fair amount of blackmail on you too now, Ms. Pickles."

She wraps her arms around his neck, sighing against his throat, "And what would that be? Finster."

He smoothes her hair with her palm, breathing in her scent. He doesn't know what tomorrow holds for them, but for now this feels right. This feels real.

"Well, you fell in love with the biggest dork in school, he loves you too - you already know that. But you closely guard the secret that you feel the same. How scandalous."

He raises his eyebrow, and she turns away, hiding her beet red face in his shoulder and knowing she's been thoroughly beaten. He's figured her out completely, and left her chasing him, trying to understand the confident man that's risen up from the ashes of the wimpy boy she used to know.

* * *

It's still a little while longer before Angelica confesses her feelings, and if he recalls it happens for the first time during a fight. Afterwards they start sharing an apartment and take walks together when the weather's nice, and he makes her smoothies whenever she wants one. He's thankful because she challenges him and makes him more courageous and he can't get over how lucky he is. She's just bewildered that he can love her despite her being broken and mean, though she thinks that she's a little less like her old self each day.

Somewhere, a nerd has learned to be a man, while an angry, lonely girl learns to smile.

The end.

* * *

**(A/N: Remember how I told you guys I was going to update TONS? Well, I lied. I started working on it and then drifted over to this. Sorry, the project is still in the works and I assure you it wont be abandoned. I actually have about twenty different fics on my hard drive at the moment either partially written or just bare bones ideas. Don't worry, all things will come with time. And as always, Please leave a review, they are food for my soul whether they be comment or critique. I have to admit, that I wasn't 100% happy with how this came out, so I hope it was up to my usual standard. Thanks for reading!)**


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